So, let's enjoy "The Siempre" while we can.
Countdown recap for Monday 29 July 2013.
C1: Champion Zarte Siempre (3 wins, 335 points.) An Apteforumite from Buckingham, and there's even a mention of the brilliant 25 hour marathon between Deeksy and Innis that he hosted back in March.
C2: Challenger Michelle Furnell. A bus driver from Ash Vale, Surrey. For her 40th birthday, she did a skydive from an aeroplane. She also claims later in the show that her father was on the show 8 months ago scoring 37 points. No matches fit that criteria, so we end it there.
DC: Susie Dent and Dan Walker, making his début today.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: B D R S I O E P D
R02: N U A C T E A R G
R03: 100, 50, 75, 6, 8, 10. Target: 445.
TTT: FATUNION - "You may be able to buy this pen for 3 coins, perhaps?"
R04: T N D S O E A I T
R05: X R N S O I U M E
R06: 75, 9, 10, 6, 10, 1. Target: 747.
R07: N C T P I O E A T
R08: N H S I U A O R S
R09: 75, 3, 10, 2, 3, 8. Target: 824.
TTT: GROANSIR - "A group of warriors associated with Zina, perhaps?"
R10: Q S M R E E A O G
R11: S L N H E I E A D
R12: G J R W E O A M L
R13: R L S Y I E O F L
R14: 50, 6, 4, 9, 1, 7. Target: 838.
R15: N I C E S O U L S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: B D R S I O E P D
C1: BIDDERS (7)
C2: biopeds
DC: BIPED (5) DISROBED (8)
OT: DROPSIDE (8) SPODDIER (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
Michelle makes an unfortunate start with the more than plausible biopeds, but it's the high bid from Zarte that gives him an early lead.
Round 2: N U A C T E A R G
C1: CARNAGE (7)
C2: CANTER (6)
DC: CENTAUR (7)
OT: ARCUATE (7) CARTAGE (7) CATERAN (7) CRANAGE (7) CURTANA (7) GAUNTER (7) TANAGER (7) UNCRATE (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)
Plenty of 7's in this round, but Michelle can't find one, so Zarte creates yet more CARNAGE as he doubles his lead at this early stage.
ARCUATE is an adjective meaning bent or curved like a bow.
CARTAGE is the act or cost of carting.
A CATERAN is a freebooter or marauder of the Scottish Highlands.
CRANAGE is simply the use of a crane.
A CURTANA is the unpointed sword carried before an English sovereign at a coronation as an emblem of mercy.
A TANAGER is any of numerous songbirds of the New World family Thraupidae, the males of which are usually brightly coloured.
Right, after all that, I think it's time for some numbers, don't you
Round 3: 100, 50, 75, 6, 8, 10. Target: 445.
C1: 445. (75 x 6) - (10 / (100 / 50)) (10)
C2: 458.
Score: 24–0 (max 25)
Deary me, how Michelle only got to 458 is anyone's guess, but it makes no difference as Zarte is on target and has already got himself a commanding lead at the end of part 1.
Teatime teaser: FATUNION -> FOUNTAIN
Round 4: T N D S O E A I T
C1: ANTIDOTES (18)
C2: SEDATION (8)
DC: STATIONED (18)
Score: 42–0 (max 43)
WOOP! WOOP!! A word that has stumped even recent champions doesn't stop "The Siempre", and only an avalanche can stop him now
Round 5: X R N S O I U M E
C1: MOUSIER (7)
C2: MOUSIER (7)
DC: MOURNS (6) MINERS (6)
RR: monsieur
OT: MERINOS (7)
Score: 49–7 (max 50)
Non, non, Rachel, no monsieur unfortunately, well not with a capital letter anyway. But, Michelle gets her first points, as she and Zarte share a MOUSIER 7.
Round 6: 75, 9, 10, 6, 10, 1. Target: 747.
C1: 747. (75 x 10) - (9 - 6) (10)
C2: 747. (75 x 10) - (9 - 6) (10)
Score: 59–17 (max 60)
A straightforward numbers game takes Zarte past his half century already.
Newcomer Dan talks about how he created the word "thronker" while doing a commentary for ITV, and is now trying to get into the OED, although it has made the Urban Dictionary, so it's not impossible, especially after "bouncebackability".
Round 7: N C T P I O E A T
C1: CAPTION (7)
C2: CAPTION (7)
DC: ACONITE (7) TACONITE (8)
OT: ENTOPTIC (8) PITTANCE (8)
Score: 66–24 (max 68)
Zarte sticks with 7 (what his 8 was, we don't know), but it probably won't matter too much in the grand scheme of things at the moment, but there are a trio of 8's to enjoy.
ENTOPTIC is an adjective meaning occurring or located within the eyeball.
Round 8: N H S I U A O R S
C1: NOURISH (7)
C2: HAIRS (5)
OT: SHAURIS (7) SOURISH (7) SUASION (7) SURAHIS (7)
Score: 73–24 (max 75)
And that's another good spot from Zarte. This game is surely his already. I think he can already think about trying to break his PB of 118 now.
Round 9: 75, 3, 10, 2, 3, 8. Target: 824.
C1: 824. ((75 + 8) x 10) - (3 x 2) (10)
C2: 824. ((8 + 3) x 75) - (3 - 2) (10)
Score: 83–34 (max 85)
And 30/30 in the numbers is good too.
Teatime teaser: GROANSIR -> GARRISON
Round 10: Q S M R E E A O G
C1: MEAGRE (6)
C2: SMEAR (5)
DC: GREASE (6) ORGASM (6) GAMERS (6) MEAGRES (7)
Score: 89–34 (max 92)
How many of you thought he'd give us another ORGASM
Well, it's just a MEAGRE SMEAR from the contestants, although Zarte could've pluralised his MEAGRE offering, but he still gets the 6 points, so I'm sure he's happy anyway. Round 11: S L N H E I E A D
C1: HEADLINES (18)
C2: HANDLES (7)
Score: 107–34 (max 110)
Even more so now, as HE'S HIT THE HEADLINES!!!!
Game, set and match, Siempre, with 4 rounds to go. He can now enjoy his week off. Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "slaves".
Round 12: G J R W E O A M L
C1: MORALE (6)
C2: WORM (4)
DC: RAW (3) JAR (3) GLOWER (6)
OT: GALORE (6) GAOLER (6) LOGJAM (6)
Score: 113–34 (max 116)
Michelle's MORALE is clearly low now, as she can only find a WORM in her selection, but Dan could only see RAW and JAR, so she beat him still.
Round 13: R L S Y I E O F L
C1: FOLLIES (7)
C2: FOLLIES (7)
DC: REFILLS (7)
OT: FILLERS (7)
Score: 120–41 (max 123)
A few more FOLLIES for our players sees Zarte beat his PB, and could even be in line to get to 140
Round 14: 50, 6, 4, 9, 1, 7. Target: 838.
C1: 840. ((9 + 7 + 1) x 50) - 6 - 4 (7)
C2: -
RR: 838. ((((6 - 4) x 50) - 7) x 9) + 1 (10)
Score: 127–41 (max 133)
Unfortunately, this 1 large is a bit of a nasty little bugger, so Zarte has to stick with 7 points, and will have to make do with trying to get 137, not that 137 is no achievement anyway!!
Round 15: N I C E S O U L S
C1 buzzes on 19.75 seconds to say SECLUSION which is correct.
Final Score: 137–41 (max 143)
And after another long delay, he does indeed get his 137 and half-octochampdom to boot!!!
That puts his score in the top 10 all-time scores, depending on how you look at all the tied scores, but either which way, it's SUPERB!!!!
So, as mentioned earlier, this is the only Countdown this week, so join our regular Monday recapper, Graeme, when he returns next week for Zarte's 5th show.
I'll be back a week on Wednesday for the aftermath of the match between Dylan Taylor and we hope Zarte, which should be one of the greatest heat matches of all time, assuming Zarte wins next Monday.
So, I'll hopefully see plenty of you on Saturday/Sunday for CoBliv II, and if not, see you on here on August 7 for the next recap.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Zarte:
Total score - 137
Raw score - 137
Total % of max - 96
Raw % of max - 96
Total average score per round - 9.1
Raw average score per round - 9.1
Number of maxes - 11
Michelle:
Total score - 41
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 29
Raw % of max - 53
Total average score per round - 2.7
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=69
